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THE BAN COMETH, BUT SO DOES “SMIRTING”

New issue of Cigar Buyer analyzes the coming English smoking ban Los Angeles, June 14 – The coming smoking ban in England that will take effect on July 1 is the dominant theme in the new issue of Cigar Buyer magazine, published in London primarily for the trade.

The ban is stiff and bans indoor smoking almost everywhere except in tobacco shops, private homes, research facilities and hotels. But this hasn’t stopped smokers elsewhere despite bans in place for more than a year:

“There is good evidence from Scotland and Ireland that the smoking ban does not make smokers give up, they merely adapt to the new circumstances, visiting places that accommodate them best, and buy more shorter, fatter cigars for those time-poor moments.”

Outdoor areas for smoking are cropping up in restaurants and bars which have the space. This has been of considerable interest to the cigarette companies in England, but Hunters & Frankau – the importers of Cuban cigars into England – has been hard at work to promote such areas as well:

“Hunters & Frankau has christened good outdoor smoking facilities as COSAs or Comfortable Outdoor Smoking Areas, and is keen to encourage as many places to invest in them. . . .

“Hunters has come up with a couple of great ideas to help inform customers that they have to smoke outside, and, if you are a hotel or restaurant selling cigars, that people can still buy their favourites.

“The company has produced a series of ‘Take Out’ stickers that incorporate the No Smoking sign to bar display humidors.

“The second idea being championed by Hunters is called a Cigar Park. If your customers light up a big cigar and have to come indoors for some reason then they need somewhere safe and dry to leave their beloved smoke.

“The Cigar Park is designed to be placed on the wall near a door and features a little lip to keep the rain out.” Brilliant!

Editor Rob Allanson also noted the curious by-product of smoking bans: smirting. “One thing forcing smokers outside has created is an interesting social phenomena called ‘smirting.’ Logical really, smoking and flirting. There you are, both in the same boat huddled outside – or basking in the warmth of a comfortable smoking area – and you chat.

“Apparently in Ireland and Scotland things have been hotting up so much outside pubs and bars than even non-smokers are coming outside to join in the action.”

No doubt that will be legislated against next! There’s a lot more in the Summer issue, including:

• Davidoff introduced a new size in a smaller cigar that is also now available in the U.S.: the Primeros.

This is a mild cigar handmade in the Dominican Republic, but from short-fill tobacco. It’s 4 1/8-inch long by 34 ring and comes in a tin of six at a suggested retail price (in the U.S.) of $24.00.

There is also a new size in the Davidoff Thousand Series, not covered in Cigar Buyer, the No. 6000. This is the first new size in this line since it was introduced in 1990! It’s a five-inch by 48-ring small robusto, featuring a mild body and a smooth flavor. It sells for $13.75 each or $337.50 in cedar cabinets of 25. • Habanos, S.A. is continuing its program of upgrading the design of its tubed cigars. The newest to be offered is the ultra-popular Montecristo Edmundo. Like the Cohiba Siglo VI, this is a slide-off tube rather than the old screw-top and is a brightly-colored yellow with the red, cross-swords logo vibrantly displayed. Additional tubed sizes of Montecristo are scheduled to be packaged in this new format shortly.

Montecristo is the third brand to receive this “treatment” after Cohiba and the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill. Next up are slated to be new tube designs for H. Upmann and Partagas.

• Naturally, there was a tasting review or two. In this issue, five new releases were reviewed, along with 22 Dominican-made cigars.

In the new releases group, four of the five were from Cuba. The Cohiba Piramides (6 1/8 inches by 52 ring) from the Edicion Limitada 2006 group received a perfect score of 10, as did the Montecristo Petit Edmundo (4 1/3 x 52), the new darling of the short-but-stout set. But also receiving a perfect score was the Honduran-made Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Robusto Maduro (5 x 54), now available in Great Britain. The remaining two cigars, the tubed Montecristo Edmundo (5 1/3 x 52) and the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill (4 7/8 x 50; also tubed) received scores of 9.8 and 9.7, respectively.

In the Dominican tasting, only one cigar scored a 10: the Zino Platinum Scepter Chubby (4 7/8 x 54), also a tubed cigar. However, all of the other 21 cigars in the tasting received scores of 9.3 or better!

Next to the Zino Platinum Scepter, seven cigars received scores of 9.8:

> Avo XO Notturno Tubos (5 x 42);

> El Credito Torpedo No. 2 Maduro (6 x 54);

> The Griffin’s No. 300 Tubos (6 x 44);

> Nat Sherman Metropolitan Selection Metropolitan (7 x 50);

> Santa Damiana Panatela (4 x 36);

> Santa Damiana Petit Corona (5 x 42);

> Santa Damiana Seleccion Especial Robusto (5 x 50).

That’s a considerable compliment to the Dominican cigar industry, which was also profiled in this issue. “The Dominican Republic produces about 183 million hand-made long filler premium cigars and 170 million machine-made cigars every year,” said Hendrik Kelner, who in addition to overseeing his own cigar-making empire is the head of ProCigar, the Dominican cigar industry’s promotional arm. “Exported Dominican cigars [are] worth $200 million, and raw materials about another $20 million.”

Because of the high tax rate for cigars, based on weight, in Britain, the presence of Dominican brands is not as high as some think it could be. But as Dominican brands look for more distribution beyond the American market, Britain and the rest of Europe will be key targets.

Cigar Buyer continues to be the best view into the British cigar scene and is always a delight. It is available by subscription and if you enjoy the London scene and points beyond, it’s a must-read. Without it, how would we know about smirting?
~ Rich Perelman

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